MBAFI 5216 - Project Management - Note 07 - Note

Virtual Teams / Agile Project
Management
MBA 5216 - Project Management
Note 07
Presented By: Ranga Gamage, PMP, MBA, BSc., CIMA
Virtual Teams
09/06/2023 MBA 5216 - Project Management - Note 07 2

Virtual Teams _ Current Trend
• While the trend towards virtual teamwork had already been growing in the years
leading up to 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the process.
• In 2021, 66% of workers in the US are working remotely at least once a week,
and a virtual environment has become the new reality for many people who
previously worked in a co-located team.
• And the trend is here to stay — according to 451 Research, 64% of companies
say the increase in remote work will be a permanent change.
• The fears that virtual teams would be less effective than traditional teams seem
to have been unfounded, as 69% of enterprises say at least 75% of their
workforce can work effectively remotely.
• What’s more, 78% of employees are happy with these changes. They give them
greater flexibility and they save time and money on commuting.
• And according to GitLab, 62% of respondents said they would consider leaving a
co-located company for an organization with a company culture of remote work.

• A virtual team is “a team made up of people who are not co-located and/or
have different working hours and/or work across multiple teams
simultaneously”.
Virtual Team • Virtual teams often involve people from diverse cultures.
• There are many variations. “There is a continuum between the physical
team (everyone co-located, dedicated members, working synchronously)
and virtual teams”.

Virtual Teams in Project Management
• A virtual team in project management is made up of individuals brought
together to work towards a predefined activity. With the primary mode of
communication being done via technology.
• While all the team members share a common goal, they may come from
different departments, backgrounds, locations, as well as outside
organizations.
• As with any project team, the purpose of a virtual team is to carry out
certain objectives that are determined by price, scope, and time restraints.
• As these goals are done virtually, there is not only the need for reliable
technology, but for a project team leader who’s willing to be flexible and
open to different kinds of uncertainty.
How Do Virtual Project Teams Members Connect?
• Virtual team connect through a wide variety of technological tools
and software. Here’s a few of the most important kinds
• Communication tools – video conferencing, software for virtual meetings,
chat tools, and email
• Project and resource planning tools – web-based apps and software that can
be accessed by the whole team, keeping track of updates, output, timeline,
and cost.
• Collaboration tools – interactive software where teams can spitball ideas,
prepare drafts, offer commentary, and create reports.
• File sharing tools – ways to send files and docs to other team members
quickly and easily.

Common concerns to consider
• How can I manage what I can’t see?
• Won’t they run shopping/do laundry when they should work?
• What if some employees don’t want to work from home?
• What if I need someone and they’re not available?
• How do I schedule a meeting if we live all over the world?
• How do I train virtual workers?
• Will productivity decrease?
• What if everyone wants to do this and no one’s in the office?
• Will this work for hourly as well as managerial? Vice versa?
• How do I ensure that work will get done on time?
• Are virtual workers as committed as onsite ones?
• Won’t customer service levels decrease?

Virtual Teams Agreement
• Virtual team agreement may include things like:
• How quickly team members are expected to reply to voice mails/emails
• The agreement is reciprocal-”we flex you, you flex us back”
• How often team members should report their activities, progress toward goals
• How often team members should input information into project tracking systems,
customer updates, shared calendars, etc.
• Core hours
• Days/times everyone should be in the office
• Frequency of regularly scheduled team meetings, 1:1 meetings, etc.
• Whether new employees have to work in the office for 3 mos/6 mos.
• How decisions will be made and documented
• Conflict-resolution procedures
Benefits of working as Virtual Teams
• Access to Global Talent: Virtual teams allow organizations to tap into a diverse pool of
talent from around the world, enabling them to find the best-fit individuals for specific
roles and projects.
• Cost Savings: Virtual teams can reduce overhead costs associated with office space,
utilities, and on-site equipment. This is particularly beneficial for organizations looking to
optimize their budgets.
• Flexibility: Virtual teams offer flexibility in terms of working hours and locations. Team
members can work from home, reducing commute times and improving work-life balance.
• Increased Productivity: Virtual teams often report higher levels of productivity because
team members can work in environments where they are most comfortable and focused.
• Diverse Perspectives: A geographically dispersed team brings diverse perspectives and
experiences, which can lead to innovative solutions and improved decision-making.

• Reduced Travel Expenses: Virtual collaboration reduces the need for extensive
business travel, saving both time and money.
• Enhanced Work-Life Balance: Virtual team arrangements allow team members to
better balance their work and personal lives, leading to improved job satisfaction.
• Access to a Larger Talent Pool: Organizations can access specialized skills and
expertise that may not be available locally, expanding their talent pool.
• Global Presence: Virtual teams enable organizations to have a global presence and
cater to customers and clients in different time zones and regions.
• Reduced Environmental Impact: With fewer team members commuting to a
central office, virtual teams can contribute to a reduction in carbon emissions and
environmental impact.

• Better Crisis Resilience: Virtual teams are often better prepared to handle crises, such
as natural disasters or health emergencies, as they are not bound to a single physical
location.
• Improved Work-Life Integration: Virtual team members have the flexibility to integrate
work tasks with personal responsibilities, leading to increased job satisfaction and
reduced stress.
• Increased Employee Retention: Virtual work arrangements can contribute to higher
employee retention rates by accommodating individual needs and preferences.
• Access to a 24/7 Workforce: With team members in different time zones, organizations
can maintain continuous operations and provide round-the-clock customer support.
• Lower Commute-Related Stress: Eliminating the daily commute can reduce stress
levels among team members, leading to improved mental health and well-being.

• Enhanced Focus on Results: Virtual teams often place a greater emphasis on
outcomes and results, as opposed to traditional office-based teams that may focus
more on the number of hours worked.
• Cost-Effective Scaling: Organizations can easily scale their teams up or down as
project demands change, without the need for physical office space.
• Inclusive Work Environment: Virtual teams can be more inclusive and
accommodating for individuals with disabilities or those who require special
accommodations.
• Reduced Office Politics: Virtual teams may experience fewer office politics and
distractions, allowing team members to focus on their tasks and goals.
• Global Collaboration: Virtual teams facilitate global collaboration and cross-cultural
understanding, fostering a more inclusive and culturally aware work environment.
Managing Virtual Teams
• Communication:
• Clear Communication Channels: Define which tools will be used for different types of communication. For
example, use Slack for quick chats and updates, email for formal communication, and Zoom for team meetings.
• Response Time Expectations: Specify that team members should respond to urgent messages within an hour
during working hours. This helps prevent delays in decision-making.
• Team Building:
• Virtual Team Building Activities: Organize online team-building activities like virtual escape rooms, trivia nights,
or team challenges to foster team cohesion.
• Recognition and Rewards: Acknowledge outstanding contributions during team meetings and consider sending
physical tokens of appreciation, such as gift cards or certificates.
• Goals and Objectives:
• SMART Objectives: Define Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound (SMART) project
objectives. For example, "Increase website traffic by 20% within three months."
• Role Clarity: Ensure that each team member knows their specific role and responsibilities. This can be
documented in a role matrix or project charter.

• Technology and Tools:
• Video Conferencing Training: Provide training sessions on how to use video conferencing tools effectively,
including screen sharing and breakout rooms.
• Project Management Software: Utilize tools like Trello, Asana, or Jira to track project progress and assign
tasks.
• Time Zones and Scheduling:
• Global Availability: Use tools like World Time Buddy to find suitable meeting times that accommodate
different time zones.
• Shared Calendar: Encourage team members to maintain a shared calendar indicating their working hours
and availability.
• Task and Work Allocation:
• Task Management Tools: Use project management software to assign tasks and track progress. For
instance, assign a website redesign task to a specific team member with a due date.
• Regular Updates: Hold brief daily or weekly stand-up meetings to discuss progress and address any
roadblocks.

• Performance Management:
• Feedback Loops: Implement regular performance reviews or feedback sessions. For example, conduct monthly one-on-
one meetings to discuss goals and provide constructive feedback.
• Performance Metrics: Monitor KPIs related to the project, such as sales revenue, customer satisfaction, or product
quality.
• Conflict Resolution:
• Open Discussions: Encourage team members to express concerns openly during team meetings or in private
conversations.
• Mediation: In cases of persistent conflicts, involve a neutral third party to mediate and find a resolution.
• Cultural Sensitivity:
• Cultural Awareness Training: Provide resources or workshops on cultural sensitivity and diversity to help team members
understand and respect different cultures.
• Inclusive Language: Encourage the use of inclusive language and avoid cultural stereotypes in all communications.
• Security and Data Management:
• Encryption and Authentication: Ensure that all communication tools and data storage solutions use encryption and
strong authentication methods.
• Data Access Control: Define who has access to sensitive data and implement role-based access controls.

• Risk Management:
• Risk Register: Maintain a risk register documenting potential risks, their impact, and mitigation plans. For example,
identify the risk of a key team member being unavailable due to illness and plan for a backup.
• Training and Development:
• Online Learning Platforms: Provide access to online courses and platforms like Coursera or LinkedIn Learning to
support skill development.
• Mentorship Programs: Pair experienced team members with newcomers for mentorship and knowledge sharing.
• Feedback and Continuous Improvement:
• Feedback Surveys: Conduct regular surveys to gather feedback on team dynamics, communication effectiveness,
and process improvements.
• Kaizen Approach: Continuously seek small, incremental improvements in virtual team processes based on feedback
and lessons learned.
• Emergency Preparedness:
• Emergency Contact List: Maintain an up-to-date list of emergency contacts for each team member and define
protocols for communication during emergencies.
• Redundancy Planning: Ensure that critical data and processes have redundancy to prevent project disruptions
during unexpected events.
• Synchronous and asynchronous communications and meetings
• Asynchronous meetings are virtual meetings in which the attendees are not
present at the same time.
• But they should be facilitated, have an agenda, explore the agenda items,
make decisions, and plan actions.
• To treat asynchronous communication as virtual meetings, the team applies a
disciplined approach to address issues and come to effective decisions
without having to meet synchronously.
• Blogs, e-mail streams, and discussion forums are the main media for
asynchronous meetings

• Realistic disciplines and guidelines for electronic communication,
including e-mails, Web meetings and document management
• Whether asynchronous communications are through e-mail or a topical forum,
there is a need for some discipline.
• Some team members write e-mails with no subject, or subjects that do not relate to
content. Some go on and on for pages.
• Others write too many and copy everyone they could think of, while others didn't copy
people with a need to know.
• The volume and manageability of the asynchronous communications can get so bad that it
takes more time to read the day's e-mail.
• Establish guidelines that address subject naming, limited distribution, response,
length, use of attachments, document naming and document management.

Effective Leadership in VT Management
• Transformational Leadership:
• Description: Transformational leaders inspire and motivate their teams to achieve exceptional results. They focus on fostering innovation
and personal growth among team members.
• Applicability: Transformational leaders can help virtual teams thrive by setting a compelling vision, providing regular feedback, and
encouraging team members to reach their full potential.
• Servant Leadership:
• Description: Servant leaders prioritize the needs of their team members and work to serve their interests. They believe in empowering
and enabling their teams.
• Applicability: In virtual teams, servant leadership can create a supportive and collaborative atmosphere by actively listening to team
members' concerns, removing obstacles, and promoting a sense of ownership.
• Adaptive Leadership:
• Description: Adaptive leaders are flexible and adjust their leadership style to meet the unique needs of their teams. They focus on
problem-solving and resilience.
• Applicability: In the dynamic environment of virtual teams, adaptive leaders can quickly adapt to changing circumstances, such as
shifting priorities or unexpected challenges, and guide their teams effectively.
• Collaborative Leadership:
• Description: Collaborative leaders emphasize teamwork, cooperation, and open communication. They encourage collective decision-
making and value input from all team members.
• Applicability: Virtual teams benefit from collaborative leadership as it promotes active engagement, shared responsibility, and the
exchange of diverse ideas among remote team members.
• Coaching Leadership:
• Description: Coaching leaders provide guidance, support, and mentorship to help team members develop
their skills and achieve their goals.
• Applicability: In virtual teams, coaching leadership is essential for ongoing skill development and performance
improvement. Leaders can provide virtual coaching sessions and resources for skill enhancement.
• Results-Oriented Leadership:
• Description: Results-oriented leaders prioritize achieving specific goals and outcomes. They set clear
expectations and hold team members accountable for delivering results.
• Applicability: Virtual teams benefit from leaders who emphasize outcomes and performance metrics, ensuring
that everyone is aligned with project objectives and deadlines.
• Democratic Leadership:
• Description: Democratic leaders involve team members in decision-making processes. They seek input and
consider the opinions of their team when making choices.
• Applicability: Virtual teams can benefit from democratic leadership by allowing team members to have a voice
in decisions related to project direction, strategies, and processes.

• Empathetic Leadership:
• Description: Empathetic leaders show understanding and compassion toward their team members. They
prioritize emotional well-being and work-life balance.
• Applicability: In virtual teams, empathetic leadership helps build trust and rapport among team members.
Leaders can demonstrate empathy by acknowledging the unique challenges of remote work and providing
support.
• Communication-Centric Leadership:
• Description: Communication-centric leaders place a strong emphasis on effective communication strategies. They
ensure that information flows freely within the team.
• Applicability: Virtual teams rely heavily on communication tools and practices. Leaders with this style excel at
facilitating transparent and efficient communication to prevent misunderstandings and promote collaboration.
• Inclusive Leadership:
• Description: Inclusive leaders create an environment where diversity and inclusion are valued. They actively seek
diverse perspectives and encourage participation from all team members.
• Applicability: In virtual teams, inclusive leadership fosters a sense of belonging and encourages team members
from different backgrounds to contribute their unique insights.

Disadvantages of Virtual Teams
• Technological issues: Virtual teams are reliant on the internet and computer for
completing work. Therefore, technological issues may cause difficulties and put work on
hold until the technological issue is resolved.
• Communication issues: Non-verbal communication can be easily misjudged and can lead
to a lack of trust and common knowledge sharing.
• Poor team bonding: A typical virtual team involves members connecting with each other
for a specific issue or problem and the disbandment of the team once the issue or
problem is resolved. Virtual teams lack time to get to know each other and bond. This
may lead to miscommunication and lack of effective collaboration.
• Management problems: Virtual teams can be hard to manage if the members are not
great communicators and lack leadership skills. For example, a member may resort to
silence instead of speaking out about a poorly performing team member. This would hurt
team cohesion and create hostility among the team members.

Examples of companies with Virtual Teams
• https://sophaya.com/2016/11/06/examples-of-virtual-teams-who-bro
ke-the-mold-and-made-it-big/
• Basecamp
• Buffer
• Zapier
• Automattic
• Trello

Agile Project Management

Predictive vs Adaptive Project Management
• Predictive approach: As the name suggests, predictive approaches
assumes you can predict the complete result or outcome of the project. It
involves fully understanding the final product and determining the
process for delivering it. In this form of project life cycle, you
determine the cost, scope, and timeline in the early phases of the project.
• Adaptive approach: Adaptive approaches have a mix of incremental and
iterative development. It involves adding features incrementally and
making changes and refinements according to feedback. In other
words, the work can easily adapt to the changing requirements based on
new feedback received from the client.

Agile
• All agile methods, emphasize
teamwork, frequent deliveries of
working software, close customer
collaboration, and the ability to
respond quickly to change.
• Agile manifesto highlights 4
important values and they are based
on 12 principles.

4 important values of Agile Manifesto
Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
Working software over comprehensive documentation
Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
Responding to change over following a plan

Structuring the work
• Stories, also called “user stories,” are short requirements or requests
written from the perspective of an end user.
• Epics are large bodies of work that can be broken down into a
number of smaller tasks (called stories).
• Initiatives are collections of epics that drive toward a common goal.
• Themes are large focus areas that span the organization.

Key components of Agile project
management
• User stories
• Put simply, a user story is a high-level definition of a work request. It contains just
enough information so the team can produce a reasonable estimate of the effort
required to accomplish the request. This short, simple description is written from the
user’s perspective and focuses on outlining what your client wants (their goals) and
why.
• Sprints
• Sprints are a short iteration, usually between one to three weeks to complete, where
teams work on tasks determined in the sprint planning meeting. As you move
forward, the idea is to continuously repeat these sprints until your product is feature
ready. Once the sprint is over, you review the product see what is and isn’t working,
make adjustments, and begin another sprint to improve the product or service.

management
• Agile board
• An Agile board helps your team track the progress of your project. This can be
a whiteboard with sticky notes, a simple Kanban board, or a function within
your project management software.
• Backlog
• As project requests are added through your intake system, they become
outstanding stories in the backlog. During Agile planning sessions, your team
will estimate story points to each task. During sprint planning, stories in the
backlog are moved into the sprint to be completed during the iteration.
Managing your backlog is a vital role for project managers in an Agile
environment.

management
• Stand-up meetings
• Daily stand-up meetings (under 10 minutes), also known as “daily Scrum
meetings,” are a great way to ensure everyone is on track and informed.
These daily interactions are known as “stand up” because the participants are
required to stay standing, helping to keep the meetings short and to the
point.

Examples of an agile story:
• iPhone users need access to a vertical view of the live feed when
using the mobile app.
• Desktop users need a “view full-screen” button in the lower right
hand corner of the video player.
• Android users need to be linked to apple store.
The above stories are all related, and could all be considered individual tasks
that drive toward the completion of a larger body of work (an epic). In this case,
the epic might be “Improve Streaming Service for Q1 Launch.”

Agile Process Tools
• SCRUM
• KANBAN
• XP
• FDD
• DSDM
• ………… more…

SCRUM

SCRUM
1. Scrum Teams work in a series of Sprints of 1, 2 (most common), 3 or 4 weeks
duration
2. It is the job of the Scrum Master to help the Product Owner, the Development
Team to develop and maintain good habits
3. Each Sprint starts with a Sprint Planning Meeting - facilitated by the Scrum
Master and attended by the Product Owner and the Development Team and
(optionally) other Stakeholders. Together they select high priority items from the
Product Backlog that the Development Team can commit to delivering in a single
Sprint. The selected items are known as the Sprint Backlog
4. The Development Team works on items in the Sprint Backlog only for the
duration of the Sprint. In all but exceptional circumstances, new issues must wait
for the next Sprint
SCRUM
5. The Daily Scrum (Daily Huddle, Daily Standup) is a short standup
meeting attended by the Scrum Master, the Product Owner and the
Development Team
6. A review of the Sprint. Often includes a demo of new features to
Stakeholders
7. An examination of what went well, what could be improved, etc.
Aim: to make each Sprint more efficient and effective than the last.
8. At the end of the Sprint, completed items are packaged for release
to live. (Note that some teams release more often than this.) Any
incomplete items are returned to the Product Backlog.
KANBAN

KANBAN
A. Kanban is a continuous process. (cf. Scrum’s periodic Sprint.)
B. It is the job of the Agile Coach (if present - not all Kanban teams have
one) to help the Product Owner and the Development Team to
develop and maintain good habits
C. Items are “pulled” directly from the Product Backlog
D. Each column has a strict Work in Progress (WIP) limit. The WIP limits
ensure that items move across the board in the shortest possible
time
E. An empty - or nearly empty - column is a signal to the previous
column to send another item. This is the “pull” system in action
KANBAN
F. The Daily Standup is a short standup meeting attended by the Agile
Coach, the Product Owner and the Development Team.
G. Each item is packaged for release as soon as it is ready
H. A demonstration of new functionality to Stakeholders
I. A look at what went well, what could be improved, etc. Aim: to
improve the process

Cost Estimations in Agile Projects
• We typically estimate software by doing variations of the following approach:
1. We deconstruct the software system along functional boundaries. This is simply functional
decomposition of the system, and the result is often a requirements document. We often have a
different understanding to that of the customer, so requirements documents are often a ‘best first
guess’ of what the system needs.
2. Programmers estimate how long it would take to build each component.
3. Some contingency factor is then applied. This contingency factor goes by various names such as
‘transactional complexity’, or ‘risk assessment factor’ and are gross multipliers often by up to +/- 150%.
Software estimate that can vary by +/-50% of the final cost.

• Professional consultants say that 100% of their project are exactly on budget, but is it
true?? They say…
• Any changes to the initial requirements as a separate project even though the we know that the
initial requirements are incorrect by 40%-60%.
• In an even more egregious example, software might be released on time to the client, but with
known defects (i.e., the quality of the product is compromised to meet the time, cost and scope
parameters).
• The true cost of producing software is hidden by shifting work between different cost
centers, or by re-defining what’s ‘in scope’ [also know as finessing scope]. It’s an
accepted way for suppliers and customers to lie to each other.

- Estimate the project using a coarse scale
• Such as T-shirt sizing, and then assign a dollar range to each size.
• For example, have the team-work with the product owner to create a list of
User Stories at a high level (epics).
• The team then estimates the epics on a very coarse abstract scale such as T-
Shirt sizes ranging from XS through to XL [XS, S, M, L, XL].
• Because we’re only concerned with order-of-magnitude and not about
accuracy, this should be a relatively quick operation.

- Estimate the project using a coarse scale
• We would then assign a dollar range to each size on our scale; XS would be
$10,000-$20,000, S would be $40,000-$80, 000, M would be $150,000-$200,000,
etc. We would tally up the final figure to give an upper and lower bound for the
total cost.
• If the customer wanted a fixed price project, then we would quote the upper
bound figure to compensate us for the additional risk that this might incur. If
they’re willing to work on a more flexible basis (say fixed-cost, variable-scope),
then we could consider a quoting a lower cost.
Cost Management with Traditional Cost Management with Agile Approaches
Approaches
Cost, like time, is based on fixed scope. Project schedule, not scope, has the biggest effect on cost. You can start with
a fixed cost and a fixed amount of time, and then complete requirements as
potentially shippable functionality that fit into your budget and schedule.
Organizations estimate project costs and Product owners often secure project funding after the product roadmap stage
fund projects before the project starts. is complete. Some organizations even fund agile projects one release at a
time; product owners will secure funding after completing release planning
for each release.
New requirements mean higher costs. Project teams can replace lower-priority requirements with new, equivalently
Because project managers estimate costs sized high-priority requirements with no effect on time or cost.
based on what they know at the project
start, which is very little, cost overruns are
common.
Scope bloat wastes large amounts of money Because agile development teams complete requirements by priority, they
on features that people simply do not use. concentrate on creating only the product features that users need, whether
those features are added on day 1 or day 100 of the project.
Projects cannot generate revenue until the Project teams can release working, revenue-generating functionality early,
project is complete. creating a self-funding project.

Effort Estimations in Agile Projects
• Planning Poker
• Planning Poker is an agile estimating and planning technique that is consensus

based. To start a poker planning session, the product owner or customer reads
an agile user story or describes a feature to the estimators.
• Each estimator is holding a deck of Planning Poker cards with values like 0, 1, 2,
3, 5, 8, 13, 20, 40 and 100, which is the sequence we recommend. The values
represent the number of story points, ideal days, or other units in which the
team estimates.
• Planning Poker
• The estimators discuss the feature, asking questions of the product owner as needed.
When the feature has been fully discussed, each estimator privately selects one card to
represent his or her estimate. All cards are then revealed at the same time.
• If all estimators selected the same value, that becomes the estimate. If not, the
estimators discuss their estimates. The high and low estimators should especially share
their reasons. After further discussion, each estimator reselects an estimate card, and all
cards are again revealed at the same time.
• The poker planning process is repeated until consensus is achieved or until the
estimators decide that agile estimating and planning of a particular item needs to be
deferred until additional information can be acquired.
• Affinity Grouping
• An even faster way to estimate, and one used when
the number of items to estimate is large, is affinity
grouping. Team members simply group items
together that are like-sized. The method is simple
and fast:
• The first item is read to the team members and placed on
the wall.
• The second item is read, and the team is asked if it is
smaller or larger than the first item; placement on the wall
corresponds to the team's response (larger is to the right,
smaller is to the left).
• The third item is read, and the team is asked if it is smaller
or larger than the first and/or second items; the item is
placed on the wall accordingly.
• Control is then turned over to the team to finish the affinity
grouping for the remainder of the items.

The Benefits of Agile Project Management
• Customer-Centric: Agile places a strong focus on delivering value to the customer. It involves regular
interactions with customers and stakeholders to gather feedback, prioritize features, and make
adjustments based on changing requirements. This ensures that the final product or project meets
the customer's needs and expectations.
• Flexibility and Adaptability: Agile is well-suited for projects in rapidly changing environments or
industries. It allows teams to respond quickly to changing priorities, emerging risks, and market shifts.
Teams can adjust their plans and priorities at the end of each iteration or sprint, which typically lasts
two to four weeks.
• Continuous Improvement: Agile encourages a culture of continuous improvement. Teams regularly
review their work and processes to identify areas for enhancement. This iterative approach leads to
higher quality outputs and more efficient processes over time.
• Enhanced Collaboration: Agile promotes collaboration among team members, stakeholders, and
customers. Cross-functional teams work closely together throughout the project, fostering
communication and knowledge sharing. This collaborative environment can lead to better problem-
solving and innovation.

• Faster Delivery: Agile projects often result in faster delivery of smaller, incremental
releases or features. This allows organizations to start realizing value sooner and
reduces the time to market.
• Transparency: Agile practices promote transparency by making project progress visible
to all team members and stakeholders. This transparency helps in identifying and
addressing issues early, reducing the likelihood of costly surprises later in the project.
• Risk Mitigation: Agile's iterative approach helps in identifying and addressing risks
early in the project. By breaking the project into smaller chunks, teams can better
manage and mitigate potential issues as they arise.
• Higher Quality: Frequent testing, reviewing, and feedback in Agile projects lead to
higher quality deliverables. Bugs and defects are identified and resolved sooner,
resulting in a more robust final product.

• Improved Morale: Agile empowers teams to have more control over their work and
decisions. Team members often report higher job satisfaction and morale when they are
actively engaged in the planning and execution of the project.
• Better Return on Investment (ROI): By delivering value incrementally and focusing on the
most important features first, Agile projects can yield a better ROI. Organizations can
generate revenue or benefits sooner and make adjustments based on real-world
feedback.
• Predictable Costs: Agile projects typically have more predictable costs because work is
broken into smaller, manageable chunks. This helps in managing budget constraints and
allows for more accurate cost forecasting.
• Scalability: Agile practices can be scaled to accommodate larger and more complex
projects by implementing frameworks like Scrum, Kanban, or SAFe (Scaled Agile
Framework).

Predictive or Adaptive?
• Predictive approach may be a better choice if:
1.You’re working on a project that the team is already familiar with. The team
will be more productive since they already know exactly what is expected out
of the project and what they are supposed to do.
2.There is little chance of changes in the project parameters. This is crucial
because any subsequent changes toward the end of the project will be very
complicated and expensive to implement in a predictive approach.
3.There are very well defined and understood requirements of what the final
deliverable product should be.
4.You have a thoroughly documented project development process to work with.
5.You prefer predictability and like to have a clear idea of possible/expected
changes beforehand.
Predictive or Adaptive?
• Adaptive approach may be a better choice if:
1.You’re working on a project with evolving or undetermined parameters. An
adaptive approach gives you room to make adjustments based on new or updated
parameters.
2.There is no rigid expectation as to how the final product might turn out. In other
words, you should use the adaptive approach only if the project is innovative
and/or exploratory in nature.
3.You’re working with a flexible timeline.
4.You work in a rapidly evolving industry.
5.The project manager is experienced with adaptive SDLC methodologies.

THANK YOU

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MBAFI 5216 - Project Management - Note 07 - Note

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Virtual Teams / Agile Project

09/06/2023 MBA 5216 - Project Management - Note 07 2

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Working software over comprehensive documentation

Customer collaboration over contract negotiation

Responding to change over following a plan

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2. Programmers estimate how long it would take to build each component.

Software estimate that can vary by +/-50% of the final cost.

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• Planning Poker is an agile estimating and planning technique that is consensus

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